Halloween...Ooohhh [[Co-Authored]]
Title: Halloween
Authors:
xtellmeastoryx and
heartts
Raiting: o_O PG-13? a lot of bad language. XD
Summary: It'd been ten months since they'd seen each other last, ten months since he tried to kill her.
Gosh my summaries suck. XD
It's not done yet I'm afraid. But oh well.
It's done now. Yay!
It had been at least 10 months since Sky's death. It had also been 10 months since she had seen Tristan Belmont. Someone who had tried to murder her, for only god knows what for. Now that it was late October, the last place she wanted to be was sitting by herself in an empty classroom. She ran a hand through her chocolate brown hair. Sighing, she grabbed her bag beside her and stood from the chair she was sitting in.
"Kaitlynn!" Someone called. Kaitlynn stopped what she was doing and turned to look at a small group of girls walking up to her. "Kaitlyynnn! Do you know what todayyy is??"
"Halloween?" Kaitlynn replied dully. "What's your point Aya? " She asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"Truth or Dare, Kaitlynn!" One of the others piped up. Kaitlynn raised a brow. Where they going with this? She glanced at the other girl in the group, that had said nothing so far.
Sighing in defeat she said, "Dare."
Jolie Ames stood with the girls, grinning and waiting for someone to spout a dare. She waited, her dark green eyes sweeping over the group of friends with her, but no one did. Jolie rolled her eyes.
"Okay," She said and everyone else in the group looked at Jolie, "I have one for you." Flipping her long, black hair over her shoulder elegantly, Jolie smiled again. "You'll like this." She promised Kaitlynn, eyes dancing with mischief.
"You know that house, the one a couple blocks away from your house?" Jolie prompted, looking around at the girls and receiving a few nods here and there, "Well, I dare you..." She paused to dramatize the dare, "I dare you to spend the night there -- tonight. Do you accept?"
All the girls turned there heads to eagerly await her reply. She looked at them oddly.
"Are you on something?" Kaitlynn asked calmly. The girls looked at her in annoyance.
"What are you ...chicken?" Aya asked grinning. The other girl, (What WAS her name?) made chicken noises. Kaitlynn crossed her arms irritably.
"No..I just..." Kaitlynn stuttered. She had tried to avoid potentially scary things, since December last year, As to not worry her brother, Adam.
"Ha! You ARE chicken!!" Aya giggled.
"No, It's just...Isn't that place like...Condemned? Nobody's lived in that house for years...It could collapse just having someone walk up the stairs!"
More chicken noises. Kaitlynn furrowed her brows.
"Whatever..Sure why not"
Jolie grinned approvingly at Kaitlynn's decision, attempting to decipher the emotions that flitted across her face as she decided. "I'll provide your moral support along the way," She joked, eyeing Kaitlynn in feigned skepticism, "Who knows how chicken she might be..." Jolie told Aya with a serious eyes, but the grin on her face told Kaitlynn that she was just teasing. The third girl squawked like a chicken again, and Jolie repressed rolling her eyes at the sound.
Instead, she looped her arm around Kaitlynn's shoulders and steered her out of the school. "Come on, Kaitlynn, you've got to prepare for your big night."
~
Kaitlynn huffed loudly, pulling her chocolate locks, back into a black scrunchie. She tightened the hold and brushed a few stray locks behind her ears. Glancing at her reflection in the mirror, her aqua eyes looked back at her.
"Why did I agree to do this..?" Kaitlynn asked herself annoyed. Riley mewed beside her. The small white cat sat there on it's hind legs, yellow eyes looking up at her. "Don't give me that look!!" Kaitlynn whined. She trudged back into her room. Grabbing a bag she had placed on her bed, she grabbed her cd player and stuffed it into it. She then grabbed her CD case and stuffed it in there too. Looking around, she made her way to her shelves to grab her flashlight. She stuffed that in her backpack as well.
"Kaitlynn?" Adam stood at her doorway, his obsidian eyes looking at her in question. "What're you doing?" He asked.
"I'm getting ready to spend the night at the haunted house down the street." Kaitlynn told him, sighing. He raised a brow.
"Why?"
"I was dared..."
"Oh well...Have fun...."
"Yeah..Okay.." He left, closing the door behind him. She went to her closet, changed her shirt, and pulling on her coat. Her favorite with the fuzzy collar. She glanced at the clock. Jolie said she'd be there at exactly 8:00, just when it got dark. She narrowed her eyes at the evil clock, as if it were the cause of her problems. If Jolie was as punctual as she claimed to be...She'd be there any- There was a knock on her front door - Minute...
Oh damn
Jolie greeted Kaitlynn at the door with a wave. The look on her friend's face told her that she'd been dreading the time until Jolie arrived. Ah well. She accepted the dare, after all.
"Are you ready to go?" Jolie asked her friend, who looked a little perturbed at Jolie's punctuality. Maybe she'd hoped that Jolie wouldn't arrive at all? Probably.
Without waiting for an answer, she gestured down the walk to the street. There, in the darkened streets, the smaller children laughed and jumped around, admiring each other's costumes and shrieking with delight when they fled the neighboring houses with candies in their baskets.
"Come on," Jolie said, "You've got a dare to complete."
Walking down the streets with Jolie, Kaitlynn mulled over the possiblility's of anything that could happen. She mentally groaned. The place had been abandoned for almost 20 years for god's sake. It was far from well kept. The fence around it was caving in, and the steps on the front almost looked creeky. As the building grew nearer, her stomach tightened more and more.
"I...Can't...Believe...I'm doing this..." Kaitlynn told herself aloud, as a small kid in a bat costume rushed past her. It almost seemed to get colder, once they were aleast 10 yards from the condemned builiding. The cool october air nipped at her cheeks, as the grip on her bag tightened.
Now standing there in front of the run down house, She felt like backing away and running home.
"I'm guessing it's too late for me to back out now huh?" Kaitlynn asked weakly, Staring ahead.
Jolie shook her head cheerfully. "You're right; you're not gonna get out of this. The time I finally get to dare you, you have to do it." She grinned, leaning against the fence with raised eyebrows. "You were the one that accepted this dare, remember, Kaitlynn?"
She pushed off the rickety swept a hand out towards the stoop, showing her the way. "Just a few more steps, and your dare begins just for the night. Have fun!" Jolie grinned again, waiting for Kaitlynn to begin.
Closing her eyes, Kaitlynn took a deep breath. She coughed. Clenching her bag tightly in her fist she started up towards the building. With fearful aqua eyes, Kaitlynn gazed over the forsaken space. Taking one last look at Jolie, Kaitlynn carefully stepped up onto the front steps. The wood made a sickening, groaning sound. Kaitlynn stiffened.
Standing in front of the door, she took notice to the broken lock. She raised a brow. Pushing the door open, she walked in, the wood creaking all the way. Closing the door behind her she asked herself, 'How do I know there's no lovesick teenagers making out or something, somewhere in ...Whoa..."
Oddly enough, there were still peices of funiture in random places in this house. Squinting, she reached into her bag and grabbed her flashlight. Turning it on, a ray of light, shot across the room. Kaitlynn furrowed her brows. "I have to spend the entire night here?" She asked, shining the light on the walls, onto objects tacked up onto the walls. The objects glimmered dully.
She walked down a seemingly empty hallway, her heart racing. Kaitlynn heared something crawl along the ground. She squeaked and walked a little faster. Rounding the corner, she found herself running into something, and or something. Falling backwards, she dropped her flashlight on the ground. The light flicked out.
Fear washed over Kaitlynn. She screamed.
It was when Jolie was leaving that she heard Kaitlynn's scream, but thought nothing of it. She grinned, her hands in her jean pockets. It seemed that Kaitlynn's scare had already begun. She met with her friends a couple blocks over. "Ready to make Kaitlynn's night a little scarier?" She asked, giggling.
>>>>
It was almost ten minutes before Kaitlynn and Jolie arrived that Tristan broke the weak lock on the crooked door to the old-looking house. Was this the right place? Why would anyone live here? He crept through the door and closed the creaking hunk of wood behind him, unclasping his trusty, always-handy Stinger Pen Pistol from his belt.
He searched the house attempting to keep his stealthy demeanor. Tristan found no one. Where was this case? He sighed with frustration.
He was just about to leave when he heard the front door creak open again. Was she here?
He crept down the stairs, as silent as he could be in a house like this, and peered through the dark hallway.
It was then when he saw the flashlight shining his way... approaching him. He couldn't move, frozen to the spot even though he knew he should be fleeing right about now, and clenched his eyes shut.
Turn the corner, turn the corner, He silently pleaded, hoping if he stayed still enough he wouldn't be noticed. How unfortunate it was that the person didn't turn the corner... instead walked right into him. His eyes snapped open when she screamed, and looked down at the faintly familiar girl who'd run into him. "Kaitlynn?!" He exclaimed, propelling himself back several feet.
Kaitlynn's eyes shot open when someone said her name. She gave herself a few seconds to let her eyes adjust to the darkness surrounding her. Standing there was someone she wished she would never see again. Her heart raced, beating painfully against her chest.
"Tristan?" It was barely a whisper. Her words wouldn't form. Kaitlynn found herself scrambling to her feet. She gazed at him in suprise. Silently, In the back of her mind, she wondered where her flashlight had rolled off to.
Tristan belted the tiny firearm the instant he heard her voice. He should have known this would happen eventually. No case ever got away forever unseen, not one. Still backing up farther, he raked both hands through his dark hair. "What the hell are you doing here?" He blurted out, "You shouldn't be here, Kaitlynn; you need to go home."
He sighed, looking around for the flashlight she dropped as well. He found it farther down the hall and picked it up. "Here," He said softly, offering her the flashlight with a wary eye. He looked down the hallway. His case wasn't here. Why would they be? This house had to be condemned.
Kaitlynn took a deep breath, clenching her hands into fists.
"What am I doing here!? What are YOU doing here?" She snapped. Why did it have to be him? She'd be better off if it were some vengeful spirit. Kaitlynn took a frightful step back. She couldn't exactly leave now, Could she? Not a chance. If she left now, the dare would be broken and she'd forever be known as the biggest chicken ever.
But even if she did leave.
What would she tell them? 'Sorry, this evil guy, who tried to kill me 10 months ago was there. Yep. And well, He told me to leave so, Yeah I left' They would never believe her.
She grabbed the flashlight from his hand. This was ridiculous.
Tristan stared at her for a moment, and then abruptly pulled away from her as if she was fire. "Do I really have to answer that, Kaitlynn?" He scowled. "You know better than anyone why I'm anywhere I shouldn't be."
He cast his eyes beyond Kaitlynn. He needed an escape route. Glancing behind him, he only found a solid wall. How would he get out of here without going past her? He didn't want to be anywhere near her. He backed up to the nearest door frame and leaned into the room, checking for exits. "Look," he told her, "I'm out of here." He made to brush past her, but didn't dare touch her. Instead, he waited for her to move, nodding towards the door.
Kaitlynn stood rooted in her spot. She watched sadly as he walked past. Dropping her gaze, she backed up and leaned against the wall, not exactly sure how stable it was.
"I can't leave..." Kaitlynn told him. A bright light illuminated the room before it went out. "But if you're leaving, Fine. Leave." Thunder boomed. Kaitlynn flinched.
Great. So now it'd be raining more than likely. Her aqua eyes shot up towards the ceiling. How thick was it? Could rain get through. She dropped her eyes.
Absently wondering how all the annoying trick or treaters were taking this, she looked back at Tristan, not having moved an inch.
A thunderclap sounded, masking the giggles that rang outside the door. Tristan brushed past Kaitlynn, pausing at the door. "Nice seeing ya," He said, turning the handle of the door. Only... the handle didn't give, and he found himself pushing against a door that wouldn't give even an inch. "What the hell?" He exclaimed, smacking the door with frustration. He turned a glare on Kaitlynn, "You did that?" He accused, jiggling the handle again. A scowl was on his face.
Kaitlynn flinched again. Why was he so eager to get out of her presence? Kaitlynn mulled over that thought for a moment.
Why didn't she see that before?
It was pretty obvious why he didn't want to be around her. She took the time to imagine herself in this situation. If she had been sent to kill herself, then jumped out a window instead, Yeah she'd avoid herself too.
With a smirk on her face, she watched him fiddle with the stupid door handle.
"The door handle?" She asked curiously. She let the thought of, Jolie and her stupid friend messing with the lock, so that she couldn't get out, cross her mind. She could be wrong, But ..She highly doubted it. "No, I didn't do anything to it. This place is condemned, Abandoned for god knows how long...What do you expect?" Kaitlynn asked him, flinching for the third time as the thunder sounded, even louder this time. Why did it have to get stormy now? Tonight of all nights. Why did her fear have to be thunder, (And spiders, but that's beside the point). And why of all people to witness this, it'd be the person who tried to kill her. She raised a brow.
Well isn't this fandamntastic?
Tristan rolled his eyes at her, looking over at her with an ugly expression. "Well, we obviously got in all right." He jiggled the handle once more before giving up with a large sigh and turning to prop himself against it, arms folded across his chest. "Who else could have messed with it between the few minutes you came in and now, other than you?"
His brow lowered in discontent. Practically every window was shattered or broken in some way, but he didn't trust the glass near it to go anywhere near them, and now the door was mysteriously locked. It's obvious; who else could have done it? She doesn't need to act dense... Tristan decided that he'd definitely take it better if she just told the truth.
Kaitlynn glared at him. He didn't believe her. Uncomfortably, she pulled her sleeves over her hands with her forefingers and crossed her arms in front of her. It acted as a way to hold the warmth near her. "I can't believe you don't believe me!" Kaitlynn muttered in annoyance. She averted her gaze.
"I'm here for a reason, and that reason probably locked the door herself." She grudgingly stepped over towards the door.
Setting a hand on his shoulder she, not too roughly, shoved him aside. Latching onto it she jiggled the handle herself. She furrowed her brows.
How do you lock the door from outside?
Kaitlynn huffed, imagining a plank of wood underneath the handle or something. "Damn you all" She hissed under her breath, pushing herself off the door. Tristan rose an eyebrow at Kaitlynn as she spoke something that he couldn't hear clearly. "Who the hell are you talking to?" He asked and, without waiting for an answer, trudged off down the hallway. Had he seen a backdoor?
Apparently not.
Kaitlynn rubbed her arm. "I"m not talking to anyone..." She muttered.
Tristan let out a frustrated sigh , kicking the doorframe of the dirty, rusty, old kitchen he left as he went. Hmm... Did he trust the stairs? Duh, of course... What was he thinking? He was a freaking assassin for Pete's sake. Of course he could make it up a rickety staircase. He'd been in a house like this before... only the one girl he dreaded seeing ever again wasn't there and he wasn't locked in with her... It wasn't a fun thought, but surely he could do it.
Tristan raked both hands through his hair, throwing his trench coat somewhere off into the background, revealing his the tiny, unloaded gun at his belt.
Of course he hadn't planned to shoot anyone tonight; he avoided it at all costs a long time ago. 10 months ago, actually.
Damn... was it really that long ago?
Shaking his head, Tristan let out a deep breath and crept up the creaking staircase.
"You coming or what?" He called down to Kaitlynn.
Kaitlynn didn't want to be here. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched as a small spider crawled up the wall behind her. Shaking her head she looked back to where Tristan was standing at the top of the stairs. She had barely heard his call.
"What?" Kaitlynn questioned catching his gaze for a moment. She huffed. " Moments ago you attempted to stay beyond 10 feet of me..like I was the plague or something now you want me to follow?" Kailtynn studied her surroundings. She considered staying down here, and as far away as possible from him, but in the current situation, she really didn't want to be alone. "Might as well," She murmured.
Tristan scoffed at her response. "Just..." He paused, somewhat speechless and remembering why he'd wanted to get away from the girl, "Get up here. I don't trust you out of my sight." He waited impatiently.
Rubbing her arm as she did so, she cautiously made her way towards the stairs. She stepped up on the first step and shifted her weight, testing it's stability. She crossed another step before seeing it as safe enough. Though, half way up the stairs, she felt oddly out of place. The step beneath her caved, sending her crashing forward. Her foot was caught in the hole, where she had stepped into aging wood.
When that stair cracked beneath her foot, no matter how much he wanted to get away from her, Tristan felt his heart leap into his throat. "Watch out, Kaitlynn! Jeez, you're gonna tear this whole place down if you're not careful." Tristan scowled at her, meeting her half way down the stairs to aid her in pulling her foot from the caved in stair. However, as he extended a hand to her, he froze when he felt the stair give way beneath him, and, suddenly, the entire staircase was collapsing under them.
Not really thinking about anything else besides the stairs, Kaitlynn grabbed onto his hand tightly. The entire staircase shook dangerously. At that moment she had forgotten the searing pain she had experienced a few seconds before. Now it was replaced with a new feeling.
"I'm sorry.." It came out panicked and quiet. It was all she could think to say at the time. It was pointless now. She was such a clutz. She doubted that if she survived this, she wouldn't make it to sunrise.
She felt the staircase tip slightly then fall back, before caving completely, tossing them both to the ground.
Everything went black after that. She couldn't remember if she had fainted out of fear, or hit her head on something.
Dust still floated around them when Tristan tried to sit up again moments later, his back aching and somewhere hoping Kaitlynn was alright. He coughed and sputtered against the dust coating his lungs, waving dust from his eyes. He squinted against the darkness, searching for the girl's fallen form. Did she still have that damn flashlight? It'd come in handy right about now, he decided.
He pushed to his feet, swiping the blood from a cut on his cheek. How'd that get there?
"Kaitlynn!" He hissed, wincing at the echo the house now gave in the newfound emptiness. Jeez, that girl was dangerous; where'd she go?
Kaitlynn groaned pitifully, forcing herself onto her back. Her eyes cracked open into the darkness. Everything seemed distorted and shaky, the whole room spun around. She clenched her eyes shut tightly, fully aware of the throbbing in her head. Every muscle in her body made themselves known at the time. A cool liquid made it's way down the side of her face and across her cheek, and to the floor beneath her.
"Owww" She whined opening one eye to gather her surroundings again. Kaitlynn wondered absently if Jolie and her dumb friends were actually expecting her to come out of this alive. She figured afterwards that she'd have to make herself get up and see if she was badly hurt or not. Right now though, she didn't even want to blink.
Well... Tristan was assured. If she was okay enough to groan, then that was good enough for him. He rolled his eyes, sighing with something akin to relief. "'kay, enough of that. Get up, will you? I can't see you on the floor."
He raked a hand through his hair, squinting to observe the pile of rubble that used to be the stairs. Faintly, he recalled Kaitlynn apologizing and, perhaps, gripping his hand for dear life before the stairs tumbled to the ground. Part of him wanted to look over in the direction of her voice and ask... well, he didn't know what -- but ask something. But that wasn't the point! The point was that there was no longer a chance for looking for another route out upstairs . He probably should have just left Kaitlynn downstairs after all. Sheesh, he was too suspicious. What the hell was an unarmed girl with a flashlight going to do?
"Are you up yet?" Tristan snapped when he became suddenly angry with himself for his jumbled thoughts, glaring at the shattered reflection of himself in the broken mirror across the hall.
Kaitlynn pushed her arm back to prop herself onto it. Pulling herself up, she allowed her head to follow. The throbbing in her head worsened. She clutched her forehead in her palm.
"Damnit.." She hissed, the world getting fuzzy again. Kaitlynn blinked rapidly. Sitting there, she allowed her eyes to focus. "Yeah, I'm up, I'm up..."
Kaitlynn sighed again, shifting her weight onto her arm to push herself to her feet. The pressure on her foot sent a sharp pain up her spine. Holding her arms out slightly, she teetered.
Kaitlynn sucked in a deep breath and glanced around her. Broken pieces of rotted and old wood surrounded her. The railing lay beside her, shattered. She flinched. Kaitlynn laughed through her discomfort. "Whoops...I'm such a clutz.." She stated raising her arm to rub the back of her head, smoothing down her hair, the other laying limp by her side.
"You think?" Tristan spat irritably. He let out a long sigh and raked a hand through his hair again. In the mirror, he could see the crimson liquid leak from the cut he found and stain his cheek. Mr. Belmont wouldn't be happy about that; he liked it best when his son came back from a mission flawless and composed. He wiped the back of his hand across his cheek again, turning away from the accursed mirror.
"Come on," He told Kaitlynn when he could finally make out her form in the darkness, disregarding any damage she may have. "You're gonna help me find away out... since you probably ruined the only other way there is."
He turned away from her, too, and stormed into what he thought was the living area. Euh... the floor was covered in broken glass and half the windows were boarded shut. The rug seemed to be munched on over the years of abandonment and the sofas weren't in any better condition. Even the area that had once been a fireplace was only a mess of ash and glass.
"Perfect," Tristan grumbled, "Just splendid."
Kaitlynn let her arm fall to her side. Shivering, she took a careful step forward over the debris. She swayed as she walked, still a little shaken.
"I said I was sorry, it's not like I wanted the staircase to fall over." Kaitlynn snapped irritably, wiping off the crimson from her forehead. She stepped over a piece of wood and stopped within 3 yards of him. She felt bad enough for destroying the stairwell, now she'd never be able to see the rest of the house. Taking a step forward, she heard glass crackling under her shoe. She lifted her foot off of it in surprise and stepped away from it. She took another deep breath before continuing. "It's not like I planned on this when I came here. I just figured I'd get through it on my own, and not destroy anything. " She scowled, scrunching her face in annoyance.
"It's not like I told myself 'Hey lets go to this condemned hell hole, maybe I'll find a complete jackass there, and return the favor by attempting to have him killed by a staircase!" Her voice rose. Her hand clenched into a shaky fist. A low frustrated growl escaped her lips, as she turned herself around, her back facing his.
Tristan's jaw clenched when he heard her approach. He let her rant, his hand burrowing deep in his pants' pockets. He felt his right wrist brush against the cool metal of the firearm at his belt. Thank goodness he'd left the round at home or, as his anger flared hotter and hotter, there may have been some bloodshed tonight. He kept his back away from her, observing all the boarded windows and the shattered glass and splintered wood littering the barely-carpeted floor until she finished raving.
"I'd stop speaking so loudly if I were you. Don't want to tear down anything else do you -- just your luck, eh?" Tristan's voice remained calm, but a smirk that she'd never see crossed his lips. Might as well make her night a living hell while he was at it, right?
Her fists tightened, as she bit down on her bottom lip to keep from yelling more. Kaitlynn let out a frustrated noise and stomped her foot childishly.
"At this moment I don't really care what happens now. As long as anything that falls....falls on you!" Twirling herself around, she gave him the most hateful look she could muster before turning back around and storming off.
Kaitlynn wasn't sure where she'd go, but this house was large enough. She'd surely find somewhere that was completely destroyed where she could get as far away from him as possible. Pausing to grab her bag that had long been forgotten, she chewed angrily on her bottom lip.
Coming to a corner, she looked over her shoulder, gathering one last look at the damage and Tristan. Letting out a puff of air, she turned the corner and stalked down the hallway.
Tristan listened to her leave, rolling his eyes as she did so. He stared at the boarded windows for a long time, contemplating the least destructive way to get through them. Sure, he could pound them out -- he could easily force his way through them -- but how could he be sure that the rest of the house wouldn't go with him? As far as he'd seen, this house was the least sturdy thing he'd been trapped in for a long time.
That's when he felt a hot breath of air on his shoulder from behind him. Tristan stiffened. How the hell had she snuck up on him? He hadn't heard a sound from the clumsy witch since she left. "Didn't you leave already?" Tristan sighed with annoyance. He swivelled around, ready to take her by the wrist and drag her out of the room so that she wouldn't distract him.Only... no one was there.
"Kaitlynn, what the fuck! Stop messin' around." He chided, looking around the room with confused eyes.
Kaitlynn stopped instantly. Did she...actually hear that? She glanced around her. "I'm probably just imagining...it..."
'Help me....'
Kaitlynn tensed. "Who...Who said that?" She cleared her throat. The voice had sounded frightened, more frightened than Kaitlynn was now. The voice sounded oddly like a young child. "I'm losing my mind...That fall must of been worse than I thought.." Kaitlynn placed a hand on the wall and pushed herself against it, resting her head against it. That voice, why did it scare her? Her eyes fell upon the walls around her. It was probably the spooky atmosphere.
Kaitlynn forced a nervous laugh. "It's..It's probably Jolie and her dumb friends..Just trying to scare me...Yeah..."
'Somebody....Please..'
Kaitlynn's breath caught in her throat.
Where'd she go so fast?
Sighing with frustration, Tristan turned back to the window, hands clenched at his sides. He stared intently at the rotted boards even as his mind wandered elsewhere.
When he heard movement behind him, Tristan breathed out his irritation and whirled around to reprimand the only other person in this house. He opened his mouth only to find his trench coat thrown over his head, which surprised him enough to choke back his words.
He snatched the coat off his face, snarling when he heard a faint giggle from around the corner. That had to me Kaitlynn... The little... Tristan threw the coat aside and stormed out of the living area. "Kaitlynn, what the hell are you trying to pull?" He snapped when he found her in the room where she stood.
Kaitlynn squeaked, hearing his voice. She raised her hands toward her ears in a defensive manner, only to stubbornly cross them over her chest as if she weren't scared. Gritting her teeth, she came to the conclusion that it had been him who was scaring her. If she only knew.
"Excuse me?" Kaitlynn questioned. "What are you talking about?" She asked him. She couldn't believe the nerve he had to pull a trick on her then ask what the hell SHE was trying to pull.
A different voice echoed in the empty room, aside from the child-like voices she had heard. Kaitlynn squeaked, his voice ringing in her ears. She raised her hands toward her ears in a defensive manner, only to stubbornly cross them over her chest as if she weren't scared. Gritting her teeth, she came to the conclusion that it had been him who was scaring her. Her blood boiled.
"Excuse me?" Kaitlynn questioned snappishly. "What the hell are you talking about?" She couldn't believe the nerve he had to pull a trick on her then ask what the hell SHE was trying to pull. The nerve.
"Kaity.." Kaitlynn tensed, glancing to her side. There had only been one person who had ever called her that. She mentally laughed. The voice was different than any other voice she had heard in the past few months. Her eyes wandered back to Tristan. Did he hear it too?
The distant voice only fell upon his deaf ears; Tristan didn't hear anything but Kaitlynn's seemingly innocent words.
"Don't play stupid with me," Tristan seethed, his eyes sharp with anger, "I heard you." He nodded, as if telling himself these things. "You don't think I could hear your little giggle after you threw my damn coat in my face? Am I deaf now or something?"
The nerve of this girl, trying to trick an armed assassin... Who did she think she was? Did she not see the tiny firearm he kept at his waist or was it just invisible now? Was a gun not dangerous, not threatening any more? Surely she wasn't trying to make him think that she didn't find him the least bit intimidating... That was just absurd. Assassin with a gun; be scared... right? She wasn't going to fool him.
Her eyes wandered away. She really must be losing her mind, hearing voices like that. The voice echoed in her mind, but she ignored it, frustrated with
Tristan.
"I'm not playing stupid. I really have no idea what you're talking about." She explained to him, her face expressionless. She made eye contact, just to prove she wasn't lying. Seriously, if she had been lying, she'd be laughing. She sighed, crossing her arms.
A loud noise shot through the empty room, echoing against the walls. The sound of a door slamming. the door of the room they were in was slammed shut, squeezing out any bit of light they had had before this. The only light was that of the moon, peaking through the window curtains, barely enough to see anything around her. Her body stiffened as another crack of thunder sounded.
Tristan stared back, determined to detect her lie. Of course she'd been lying, but, then again, what if she wasn't? Why was he being so damn untrusting? He stared until the loud crack of the door behind them sounded, in which he jumped about two feet at, and suddenly felt glad that he hadn't remained in the doorway. He scowled back at Kaitlynn for a moment, trying to keep his cool and hoping that the girl hadn't seen the lapse in his acute senses, then turned his back on her to try the door handle.
Locked.
What on earth else could he have expected with her around? Tristan let out his frustration with one big gust of air, rolling his eyes, and turned back to Kaitlynn. "What is it with you and locked doors?"
Why did he feel so goddamn judgmental and accusing tonight? Tristan didn't like the affect she had on him.
Kaitlynn glared harshly, letting out a frustrated noise. Why did he have to blame her for everything? It's not like she's responsible for this.
"What is with you and BLAMING me for everything?!" Kaitlynn snapped, forcing her eyes to adjust to the darkness, so she could smack him. No use.
She was sure she'd go insane before the night was over, it was bad enough that she had been locked in a house with a murderer, now she was locked in a room with him. She'd tear her hair out, scream and thrash around before the sun came up. If she had some how manage to survive this, she'd need major therapy. It was a good thing her parents were--
Oh no. Her parents.
Kaitlynn's eyes widened. She cursed out loud, suddenly wanting to go home. With her eyes adjusted slightly, she tried to make out where the door was. Even if the door were locked, she'd figure out a way to get out. She had to.
Tristan didn't reply, instead watching -- even in the darkness, his eyes could adjust easily and make themselves at home in the dim surroundings -- the ongoing conflict stir behind Kaitlynn's eyes. Something must have snapped in her when her eyes rounded slightly because it startled even him.
Suddenly he wondered what was going through her mind, observing how she squinted across the room, assumingly to find the door and get out. Tristan almost felt horrible that he'd ruined her night, but, then again, it was his profession -- to ruin families' after families' lives, to plague them.
Still silent, he moved away from the door, feeling strongly that she didn't want to be near him.
Kaitlynn slammed her fist against the door, infuriated that it would not budge. She grabbed the handle of the door and twisted it. If these locks were built like the ones in her house then if she twisted the handle hard enough, the lock might break. Chewing on her bottom lip, she gripped the handle, twisting it harder. It wouldn't break.
"Damnit..." Kaitlynn cursed banging on the door again.
Defeated, she dropped her head against the door, making a small whiny noise.
Tristan tried not to speak, but words fell from his lips before he could stop them, "What made you think you could open it? I couldn't open it, Kaitlynn."
He wanted to kick himself for being such an asshole, but instead he settled for biting his tongue and glaring in the opposite direction of her. He had to redeem himself, but he thought that this time he'd stuck his foot far enough into his mouth that he might just choke if he made another scathing remark. Dangerous territory. "Why does a rickety house like this have such strong locks anyway?" These were the kind of doors he could easily kick down, wooden and flimsy, but the locks held like word in stone. This house was built amazingly secure, but it was entirely too creepy to be stuck in here with her.
Whirling herself around she glared harshly at him. "Don't mess with me right now okay?"
She really didn't need it now. She need to get home. Kaitlynn could care less what Jolie and her dumb friends thought. She leaned back against the door glancing around the room. There had to be a way out. The tiny ray of light from the window caught her eye.
She walked over across the room towards the window. The force from her pulling the curtains aside, sent dust flying into the air. Kaitlynn coughed, choking on it. She braced herself against the window, coughing until the dust had settled.
Tristan raised his eyebrows at her back, ignoring the stinging sensation that the dust of the curtains caused in his eyes. He watched with mild interest as she pulled back the moldy, old curtains and observed the cracked, nearly splintered boards behind them that covered the window. He was surprised how much moonlight the tiny crack showed.
Despite Kaitlynn's warning, Tristan found words falling out of his mouth before he could help himself, "I wouldn't try to go through there, if I were you. This house is how old? The wall will fall through, with your luck."
Kaitlynn dropped her forehead against the wood over the window, frustrated. She purposely ignored Tristan's comment. She was tired of yelling at him, Seeing as how it never solved anything anyway. He only kept at it, pressing her nerves.
"Damnit!" She hissed banging her head against the wood. "I can't believe this" She added softly. Turning her body around, she leaned her back against the wall and slid down. She pulled her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her knees. "We're stuck here. For god knows how long."
She was going to have to deal with her parents when she got home. That thought didn't ease the racing of her heart, and the silent fear bubbling in her stomach.
Tristan too slid down the wall across from her. He just watched her, thinking she seemed bothered by something. He found himself become increasingly uncomfortable on the floor in this silence, the sudden need to pace back and forth across the room assaulting him. Whether he liked to admit it or not, Kaitlynn seemed to have a similar idea that he'd been developing somewhere in his mind since he first laid eyes on Kaitlynn again. He remembered how panicked he'd felt to see her again; what would she do once they got out of here? Would he let her that far, would he...?
No. A long time ago, he'd told himself 'no'. Never again.
He looked down at his shoes to realize he was on his feet and pacing back and forth, wringing his hands behind his back. Since when had he become so nervous? He could... He could hurt this girl in a moment if she tried anything, so why was he worried?
He shook his head, forced himself stand in place. He couldn't manage it, however, because a moment later, he tried to handle on the door again, even though he knew it was going to be--hey, wait...
The handle turned easily under his calloused grip and he forced the door open, listening to it creak terribly. "Kaitlynn!" He exclaimed at the curled-up girl across the room, venturing outside the threshold. The door slammed shut behind him, a violent wind chilling him. When he turned to open it again, the door was locked. He and Kaitlynn had been separated.
Kaitlynn watched him pace around the room. She couldn't figure out what he seemed so tense about. Sighing, she dropped her gaze as he fiddled with the door handle again, it was almost pointless.
Her head shot up at her name, the sound of a slamming door behind it. She pulled herself to her feet rapidly, running across the room to the door. She tried the handle herself, but it wouldn't budge. The urge to scream tried to make it's way past her lips. She slammed her fist against the door. Flinching, she pulled it back. Her whole body shook. Turning her head around, she stared into the darkness, the fear she felt earlier increased in size, as the emptiness of the room started to get to her. It hadn't seemed so bad before, the darkness. It hadn't seemed so scary before, when she hadn't been the only one in the room. She crossed the room again, to the oppisite wall, fighting the tears that tried to surface. She pressed herself against the wall , staring at the closed door. She clenched her eyes shut, willing away the unsettling feeling of something bad that could happen.
Tristan pulled at the door handle violently, jiggling the whole door in his effort to open it back up. Yet he didn't have a clue what compelled him to care so much. This was his chance at freedom..
He tore at the rusted door handle once more before setting off across the house in search of something to open the door. A key, perhaps... A screwdriver -- something. He couldn't just leave her in there. Again, part of his mind rebeled against this idea, but he pushed it back, rummaging through every drawer in the ugly, out-of-date kitchen. He found nothing and stormed back to the locked door. "Kaitlynn!" He exclaimed through the door, anger assaulting him suddenly -- he was suddenly furious with himself, furious with Kaitlynn, and furious with this house. "Are you playing with me again? This isn't funny!" He turned the handle again with such force he was sure that he would rip it off the door. No such luck.
Without waiting for the girls 's reply, he went to search the living area.
Kaitlynn raised her hands to her ears, covering them tightly.
"Stop blaming me for everything!" Kaitlynn shouted at the top of her lungs, positive that he could hear her. She let out a frustrated scream, frustrated with everything. She never should of come here.
"Kaity..." That voice. Kaitlynn squeaked, dropping to the floor again, hands still tightly clamped over her ears. A cold hand placed itself on her shoulder. Kaitlynn froze, her eyes flying open. Glancing to her shoulder, she screamed, scrambling to her feet. She took steps backwards until she collided with another wall. Her breath came out ragged. She placed her hands flat against the wall, steadying herself, as she watched the wall she had been on.
He threw open every drawer, pulled back every curtain, turned over every piece of furnature he came in contact with, and he still found nothing. Why was he so worried about this? This was his chance to ditch the girl. He should be celebrating, right?
The floor behind him creaked and he bristled. Then it hit him. It scared him because this house could be... dare he say it? No, but there was something terrible in this house, something supernatural, undead perhaps. His eyes swept the room and he hurried back to the locked room, knocking on the door again, only gently this time. "Kaitlynn," Tristan sighed, shaking his head. "I don't like this house..."
Kaitlynn dropped her head against the wall, with a deep sigh. Her arms shook. She glanced over at the locked door, when she heard Tristan say something from behind it. Closing her eyes for a moment she responded sullenly.
"Something we have in common." Her aqua eyes fell open. "It's so strange..." She mumbled. " It's like...The house has a mind of it own." Her eyes scanned the area, taking in every aspect of it. Every corner, ever chip of paint. The softly painted images of bunnies on the walls, in a border circling the room one foot off the ground. Her eyes softened. The curtains over the boarded windows were a powdered blue. This was a young child’s room at one point. She brought her gaze to the bottoms of the floor length curtains.
Scorch marks.
A chuckle escaped him. It seemed too absurd... the thought of a house with its own mind, its own memories and such... but Tristan anything but threw that thought aside. His hand traveled to the door handle again, something telling him that he should. He twisted it even knowing it wouldn't work. "What are we supposed to do then?" He asked through the door, lost for ideas. A house with its own ideas... how do you beat that?
Kaitlynn allowed herself a laugh before she coughed. She felt herself stepping away from the door, a chill shot up her spine, sending shivers throughout every nerve.
"Kaitlynn"
Kaitlynn turned her head frantically. "Who's there?" She questioned, before the world began to fade away. She felt dizzy. The entire world seemed to spin around, making her teeter dangerously. She felt somebody grab her shoulder. She squeaked, Snapping back into reality again.
Tristan pulled his ear away from the door for no longer than a moment to cast it a strange look, as if somehow the girl on the other side of the door would receive this look... or at least realize how strange she sounded. "What do you mean, 'who's there?'? It's still Tristan, Kaitlynn. What's going on in there?" He jiggled the handle again to no avail, suspicious rising in him.
Kaitlynn's breath quickened. "I wasn't talking to you!" Kaitlynn exclaimed panicking suddenly. She licked her lips in anticipation.
"Kaity..."
She jolted turning around to face the door. "Please tell me you can hear that voice..."
Again, the door received the strangest look imagined. "What voice? There's no one here but you and me, remember?" All the same, Tristan scanned the hallway around him. The caress of warm breath on his neck, the mysterious tossing of his trench over his eyes... It made sense, but they didn't believe in ghosts, right? Apparitions, ghouls... they were just figments on the imagination, right? Kaitlynn was just imagining things, frightened because she was locked in a room in this alleged "haunted house." It was nothing big... definitely.
She bit her lip. "I know that but - But still, I can hear it!"
"Kaity, Kaity please I need your help!" Kaitlynn whirled around. An transparent figure appeared in front of her. The figure glowed an eerie shade of blue.
Kaitlynn's eyes widened. Her mouth opened but no words came out.
"Sky..." She managed but came out barely audible.
Tristan pressed his face closer to the flimsy wood of the door between him and Kaitlynn, listening harder for these voices that Kaitlynn claimed to hear.
Even now his excellent hearing could pick up nothing but the faint, anxiously ragged breath of the girl. All was quiet for a moment, but then a foreign voice assaulted his ears, something inaudible. What was that?... Kaitlynn's whisper barely met his ears, but he heard her loud and clear, a cold sweat breaking out across his forehead. Impossible. He never forgot a name... It may have been vague, but it was a name she would know. But that was silly because that boy was dead. "Who?" He intoned, an icy cold sensation pooling in the pit of his stomach.
The figure seemed to smile. "Yeah Kaity, It's me..." His voice was soft and wispy, almost like the cold October wind. Kaitlynn shook her head furiously, the cheek length bangs smacking her face.
"No..." She muttered, staring hard at the airy figment. She brought a clenched fist to her chest, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "I'm losing my mind..."
"Kaity, I'm really here! I am.. "
"You're dead"
"I know that," He told her, reaching out his hand, to brush against her cheek. His 'fingers' were cold like ice. She shuddered
"Kaity...I need your help..." He told her.
Authors:
xtellmeastoryx and
heartts
Raiting: o_O PG-13? a lot of bad language. XD
Summary: It'd been ten months since they'd seen each other last, ten months since he tried to kill her.
Gosh my summaries suck. XD
It's not done yet I'm afraid. But oh well.
It's done now. Yay!
It had been at least 10 months since Sky's death. It had also been 10 months since she had seen Tristan Belmont. Someone who had tried to murder her, for only god knows what for. Now that it was late October, the last place she wanted to be was sitting by herself in an empty classroom. She ran a hand through her chocolate brown hair. Sighing, she grabbed her bag beside her and stood from the chair she was sitting in.
"Kaitlynn!" Someone called. Kaitlynn stopped what she was doing and turned to look at a small group of girls walking up to her. "Kaitlyynnn! Do you know what todayyy is??"
"Halloween?" Kaitlynn replied dully. "What's your point Aya? " She asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"Truth or Dare, Kaitlynn!" One of the others piped up. Kaitlynn raised a brow. Where they going with this? She glanced at the other girl in the group, that had said nothing so far.
Sighing in defeat she said, "Dare."
Jolie Ames stood with the girls, grinning and waiting for someone to spout a dare. She waited, her dark green eyes sweeping over the group of friends with her, but no one did. Jolie rolled her eyes.
"Okay," She said and everyone else in the group looked at Jolie, "I have one for you." Flipping her long, black hair over her shoulder elegantly, Jolie smiled again. "You'll like this." She promised Kaitlynn, eyes dancing with mischief.
"You know that house, the one a couple blocks away from your house?" Jolie prompted, looking around at the girls and receiving a few nods here and there, "Well, I dare you..." She paused to dramatize the dare, "I dare you to spend the night there -- tonight. Do you accept?"
All the girls turned there heads to eagerly await her reply. She looked at them oddly.
"Are you on something?" Kaitlynn asked calmly. The girls looked at her in annoyance.
"What are you ...chicken?" Aya asked grinning. The other girl, (What WAS her name?) made chicken noises. Kaitlynn crossed her arms irritably.
"No..I just..." Kaitlynn stuttered. She had tried to avoid potentially scary things, since December last year, As to not worry her brother, Adam.
"Ha! You ARE chicken!!" Aya giggled.
"No, It's just...Isn't that place like...Condemned? Nobody's lived in that house for years...It could collapse just having someone walk up the stairs!"
More chicken noises. Kaitlynn furrowed her brows.
"Whatever..Sure why not"
Jolie grinned approvingly at Kaitlynn's decision, attempting to decipher the emotions that flitted across her face as she decided. "I'll provide your moral support along the way," She joked, eyeing Kaitlynn in feigned skepticism, "Who knows how chicken she might be..." Jolie told Aya with a serious eyes, but the grin on her face told Kaitlynn that she was just teasing. The third girl squawked like a chicken again, and Jolie repressed rolling her eyes at the sound.
Instead, she looped her arm around Kaitlynn's shoulders and steered her out of the school. "Come on, Kaitlynn, you've got to prepare for your big night."
~
Kaitlynn huffed loudly, pulling her chocolate locks, back into a black scrunchie. She tightened the hold and brushed a few stray locks behind her ears. Glancing at her reflection in the mirror, her aqua eyes looked back at her.
"Why did I agree to do this..?" Kaitlynn asked herself annoyed. Riley mewed beside her. The small white cat sat there on it's hind legs, yellow eyes looking up at her. "Don't give me that look!!" Kaitlynn whined. She trudged back into her room. Grabbing a bag she had placed on her bed, she grabbed her cd player and stuffed it into it. She then grabbed her CD case and stuffed it in there too. Looking around, she made her way to her shelves to grab her flashlight. She stuffed that in her backpack as well.
"Kaitlynn?" Adam stood at her doorway, his obsidian eyes looking at her in question. "What're you doing?" He asked.
"I'm getting ready to spend the night at the haunted house down the street." Kaitlynn told him, sighing. He raised a brow.
"Why?"
"I was dared..."
"Oh well...Have fun...."
"Yeah..Okay.." He left, closing the door behind him. She went to her closet, changed her shirt, and pulling on her coat. Her favorite with the fuzzy collar. She glanced at the clock. Jolie said she'd be there at exactly 8:00, just when it got dark. She narrowed her eyes at the evil clock, as if it were the cause of her problems. If Jolie was as punctual as she claimed to be...She'd be there any- There was a knock on her front door - Minute...
Oh damn
Jolie greeted Kaitlynn at the door with a wave. The look on her friend's face told her that she'd been dreading the time until Jolie arrived. Ah well. She accepted the dare, after all.
"Are you ready to go?" Jolie asked her friend, who looked a little perturbed at Jolie's punctuality. Maybe she'd hoped that Jolie wouldn't arrive at all? Probably.
Without waiting for an answer, she gestured down the walk to the street. There, in the darkened streets, the smaller children laughed and jumped around, admiring each other's costumes and shrieking with delight when they fled the neighboring houses with candies in their baskets.
"Come on," Jolie said, "You've got a dare to complete."
Walking down the streets with Jolie, Kaitlynn mulled over the possiblility's of anything that could happen. She mentally groaned. The place had been abandoned for almost 20 years for god's sake. It was far from well kept. The fence around it was caving in, and the steps on the front almost looked creeky. As the building grew nearer, her stomach tightened more and more.
"I...Can't...Believe...I'm doing this..." Kaitlynn told herself aloud, as a small kid in a bat costume rushed past her. It almost seemed to get colder, once they were aleast 10 yards from the condemned builiding. The cool october air nipped at her cheeks, as the grip on her bag tightened.
Now standing there in front of the run down house, She felt like backing away and running home.
"I'm guessing it's too late for me to back out now huh?" Kaitlynn asked weakly, Staring ahead.
Jolie shook her head cheerfully. "You're right; you're not gonna get out of this. The time I finally get to dare you, you have to do it." She grinned, leaning against the fence with raised eyebrows. "You were the one that accepted this dare, remember, Kaitlynn?"
She pushed off the rickety swept a hand out towards the stoop, showing her the way. "Just a few more steps, and your dare begins just for the night. Have fun!" Jolie grinned again, waiting for Kaitlynn to begin.
Closing her eyes, Kaitlynn took a deep breath. She coughed. Clenching her bag tightly in her fist she started up towards the building. With fearful aqua eyes, Kaitlynn gazed over the forsaken space. Taking one last look at Jolie, Kaitlynn carefully stepped up onto the front steps. The wood made a sickening, groaning sound. Kaitlynn stiffened.
Standing in front of the door, she took notice to the broken lock. She raised a brow. Pushing the door open, she walked in, the wood creaking all the way. Closing the door behind her she asked herself, 'How do I know there's no lovesick teenagers making out or something, somewhere in ...Whoa..."
Oddly enough, there were still peices of funiture in random places in this house. Squinting, she reached into her bag and grabbed her flashlight. Turning it on, a ray of light, shot across the room. Kaitlynn furrowed her brows. "I have to spend the entire night here?" She asked, shining the light on the walls, onto objects tacked up onto the walls. The objects glimmered dully.
She walked down a seemingly empty hallway, her heart racing. Kaitlynn heared something crawl along the ground. She squeaked and walked a little faster. Rounding the corner, she found herself running into something, and or something. Falling backwards, she dropped her flashlight on the ground. The light flicked out.
Fear washed over Kaitlynn. She screamed.
It was when Jolie was leaving that she heard Kaitlynn's scream, but thought nothing of it. She grinned, her hands in her jean pockets. It seemed that Kaitlynn's scare had already begun. She met with her friends a couple blocks over. "Ready to make Kaitlynn's night a little scarier?" She asked, giggling.
>>>>
It was almost ten minutes before Kaitlynn and Jolie arrived that Tristan broke the weak lock on the crooked door to the old-looking house. Was this the right place? Why would anyone live here? He crept through the door and closed the creaking hunk of wood behind him, unclasping his trusty, always-handy Stinger Pen Pistol from his belt.
He searched the house attempting to keep his stealthy demeanor. Tristan found no one. Where was this case? He sighed with frustration.
He was just about to leave when he heard the front door creak open again. Was she here?
He crept down the stairs, as silent as he could be in a house like this, and peered through the dark hallway.
It was then when he saw the flashlight shining his way... approaching him. He couldn't move, frozen to the spot even though he knew he should be fleeing right about now, and clenched his eyes shut.
Turn the corner, turn the corner, He silently pleaded, hoping if he stayed still enough he wouldn't be noticed. How unfortunate it was that the person didn't turn the corner... instead walked right into him. His eyes snapped open when she screamed, and looked down at the faintly familiar girl who'd run into him. "Kaitlynn?!" He exclaimed, propelling himself back several feet.
Kaitlynn's eyes shot open when someone said her name. She gave herself a few seconds to let her eyes adjust to the darkness surrounding her. Standing there was someone she wished she would never see again. Her heart raced, beating painfully against her chest.
"Tristan?" It was barely a whisper. Her words wouldn't form. Kaitlynn found herself scrambling to her feet. She gazed at him in suprise. Silently, In the back of her mind, she wondered where her flashlight had rolled off to.
Tristan belted the tiny firearm the instant he heard her voice. He should have known this would happen eventually. No case ever got away forever unseen, not one. Still backing up farther, he raked both hands through his dark hair. "What the hell are you doing here?" He blurted out, "You shouldn't be here, Kaitlynn; you need to go home."
He sighed, looking around for the flashlight she dropped as well. He found it farther down the hall and picked it up. "Here," He said softly, offering her the flashlight with a wary eye. He looked down the hallway. His case wasn't here. Why would they be? This house had to be condemned.
Kaitlynn took a deep breath, clenching her hands into fists.
"What am I doing here!? What are YOU doing here?" She snapped. Why did it have to be him? She'd be better off if it were some vengeful spirit. Kaitlynn took a frightful step back. She couldn't exactly leave now, Could she? Not a chance. If she left now, the dare would be broken and she'd forever be known as the biggest chicken ever.
But even if she did leave.
What would she tell them? 'Sorry, this evil guy, who tried to kill me 10 months ago was there. Yep. And well, He told me to leave so, Yeah I left' They would never believe her.
She grabbed the flashlight from his hand. This was ridiculous.
Tristan stared at her for a moment, and then abruptly pulled away from her as if she was fire. "Do I really have to answer that, Kaitlynn?" He scowled. "You know better than anyone why I'm anywhere I shouldn't be."
He cast his eyes beyond Kaitlynn. He needed an escape route. Glancing behind him, he only found a solid wall. How would he get out of here without going past her? He didn't want to be anywhere near her. He backed up to the nearest door frame and leaned into the room, checking for exits. "Look," he told her, "I'm out of here." He made to brush past her, but didn't dare touch her. Instead, he waited for her to move, nodding towards the door.
Kaitlynn stood rooted in her spot. She watched sadly as he walked past. Dropping her gaze, she backed up and leaned against the wall, not exactly sure how stable it was.
"I can't leave..." Kaitlynn told him. A bright light illuminated the room before it went out. "But if you're leaving, Fine. Leave." Thunder boomed. Kaitlynn flinched.
Great. So now it'd be raining more than likely. Her aqua eyes shot up towards the ceiling. How thick was it? Could rain get through. She dropped her eyes.
Absently wondering how all the annoying trick or treaters were taking this, she looked back at Tristan, not having moved an inch.
A thunderclap sounded, masking the giggles that rang outside the door. Tristan brushed past Kaitlynn, pausing at the door. "Nice seeing ya," He said, turning the handle of the door. Only... the handle didn't give, and he found himself pushing against a door that wouldn't give even an inch. "What the hell?" He exclaimed, smacking the door with frustration. He turned a glare on Kaitlynn, "You did that?" He accused, jiggling the handle again. A scowl was on his face.
Kaitlynn flinched again. Why was he so eager to get out of her presence? Kaitlynn mulled over that thought for a moment.
Why didn't she see that before?
It was pretty obvious why he didn't want to be around her. She took the time to imagine herself in this situation. If she had been sent to kill herself, then jumped out a window instead, Yeah she'd avoid herself too.
With a smirk on her face, she watched him fiddle with the stupid door handle.
"The door handle?" She asked curiously. She let the thought of, Jolie and her stupid friend messing with the lock, so that she couldn't get out, cross her mind. She could be wrong, But ..She highly doubted it. "No, I didn't do anything to it. This place is condemned, Abandoned for god knows how long...What do you expect?" Kaitlynn asked him, flinching for the third time as the thunder sounded, even louder this time. Why did it have to get stormy now? Tonight of all nights. Why did her fear have to be thunder, (And spiders, but that's beside the point). And why of all people to witness this, it'd be the person who tried to kill her. She raised a brow.
Well isn't this fandamntastic?
Tristan rolled his eyes at her, looking over at her with an ugly expression. "Well, we obviously got in all right." He jiggled the handle once more before giving up with a large sigh and turning to prop himself against it, arms folded across his chest. "Who else could have messed with it between the few minutes you came in and now, other than you?"
His brow lowered in discontent. Practically every window was shattered or broken in some way, but he didn't trust the glass near it to go anywhere near them, and now the door was mysteriously locked. It's obvious; who else could have done it? She doesn't need to act dense... Tristan decided that he'd definitely take it better if she just told the truth.
Kaitlynn glared at him. He didn't believe her. Uncomfortably, she pulled her sleeves over her hands with her forefingers and crossed her arms in front of her. It acted as a way to hold the warmth near her. "I can't believe you don't believe me!" Kaitlynn muttered in annoyance. She averted her gaze.
"I'm here for a reason, and that reason probably locked the door herself." She grudgingly stepped over towards the door.
Setting a hand on his shoulder she, not too roughly, shoved him aside. Latching onto it she jiggled the handle herself. She furrowed her brows.
How do you lock the door from outside?
Kaitlynn huffed, imagining a plank of wood underneath the handle or something. "Damn you all" She hissed under her breath, pushing herself off the door. Tristan rose an eyebrow at Kaitlynn as she spoke something that he couldn't hear clearly. "Who the hell are you talking to?" He asked and, without waiting for an answer, trudged off down the hallway. Had he seen a backdoor?
Apparently not.
Kaitlynn rubbed her arm. "I"m not talking to anyone..." She muttered.
Tristan let out a frustrated sigh , kicking the doorframe of the dirty, rusty, old kitchen he left as he went. Hmm... Did he trust the stairs? Duh, of course... What was he thinking? He was a freaking assassin for Pete's sake. Of course he could make it up a rickety staircase. He'd been in a house like this before... only the one girl he dreaded seeing ever again wasn't there and he wasn't locked in with her... It wasn't a fun thought, but surely he could do it.
Tristan raked both hands through his hair, throwing his trench coat somewhere off into the background, revealing his the tiny, unloaded gun at his belt.
Of course he hadn't planned to shoot anyone tonight; he avoided it at all costs a long time ago. 10 months ago, actually.
Damn... was it really that long ago?
Shaking his head, Tristan let out a deep breath and crept up the creaking staircase.
"You coming or what?" He called down to Kaitlynn.
Kaitlynn didn't want to be here. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched as a small spider crawled up the wall behind her. Shaking her head she looked back to where Tristan was standing at the top of the stairs. She had barely heard his call.
"What?" Kaitlynn questioned catching his gaze for a moment. She huffed. " Moments ago you attempted to stay beyond 10 feet of me..like I was the plague or something now you want me to follow?" Kailtynn studied her surroundings. She considered staying down here, and as far away as possible from him, but in the current situation, she really didn't want to be alone. "Might as well," She murmured.
Tristan scoffed at her response. "Just..." He paused, somewhat speechless and remembering why he'd wanted to get away from the girl, "Get up here. I don't trust you out of my sight." He waited impatiently.
Rubbing her arm as she did so, she cautiously made her way towards the stairs. She stepped up on the first step and shifted her weight, testing it's stability. She crossed another step before seeing it as safe enough. Though, half way up the stairs, she felt oddly out of place. The step beneath her caved, sending her crashing forward. Her foot was caught in the hole, where she had stepped into aging wood.
When that stair cracked beneath her foot, no matter how much he wanted to get away from her, Tristan felt his heart leap into his throat. "Watch out, Kaitlynn! Jeez, you're gonna tear this whole place down if you're not careful." Tristan scowled at her, meeting her half way down the stairs to aid her in pulling her foot from the caved in stair. However, as he extended a hand to her, he froze when he felt the stair give way beneath him, and, suddenly, the entire staircase was collapsing under them.
Not really thinking about anything else besides the stairs, Kaitlynn grabbed onto his hand tightly. The entire staircase shook dangerously. At that moment she had forgotten the searing pain she had experienced a few seconds before. Now it was replaced with a new feeling.
"I'm sorry.." It came out panicked and quiet. It was all she could think to say at the time. It was pointless now. She was such a clutz. She doubted that if she survived this, she wouldn't make it to sunrise.
She felt the staircase tip slightly then fall back, before caving completely, tossing them both to the ground.
Everything went black after that. She couldn't remember if she had fainted out of fear, or hit her head on something.
Dust still floated around them when Tristan tried to sit up again moments later, his back aching and somewhere hoping Kaitlynn was alright. He coughed and sputtered against the dust coating his lungs, waving dust from his eyes. He squinted against the darkness, searching for the girl's fallen form. Did she still have that damn flashlight? It'd come in handy right about now, he decided.
He pushed to his feet, swiping the blood from a cut on his cheek. How'd that get there?
"Kaitlynn!" He hissed, wincing at the echo the house now gave in the newfound emptiness. Jeez, that girl was dangerous; where'd she go?
Kaitlynn groaned pitifully, forcing herself onto her back. Her eyes cracked open into the darkness. Everything seemed distorted and shaky, the whole room spun around. She clenched her eyes shut tightly, fully aware of the throbbing in her head. Every muscle in her body made themselves known at the time. A cool liquid made it's way down the side of her face and across her cheek, and to the floor beneath her.
"Owww" She whined opening one eye to gather her surroundings again. Kaitlynn wondered absently if Jolie and her dumb friends were actually expecting her to come out of this alive. She figured afterwards that she'd have to make herself get up and see if she was badly hurt or not. Right now though, she didn't even want to blink.
Well... Tristan was assured. If she was okay enough to groan, then that was good enough for him. He rolled his eyes, sighing with something akin to relief. "'kay, enough of that. Get up, will you? I can't see you on the floor."
He raked a hand through his hair, squinting to observe the pile of rubble that used to be the stairs. Faintly, he recalled Kaitlynn apologizing and, perhaps, gripping his hand for dear life before the stairs tumbled to the ground. Part of him wanted to look over in the direction of her voice and ask... well, he didn't know what -- but ask something. But that wasn't the point! The point was that there was no longer a chance for looking for another route out upstairs . He probably should have just left Kaitlynn downstairs after all. Sheesh, he was too suspicious. What the hell was an unarmed girl with a flashlight going to do?
"Are you up yet?" Tristan snapped when he became suddenly angry with himself for his jumbled thoughts, glaring at the shattered reflection of himself in the broken mirror across the hall.
Kaitlynn pushed her arm back to prop herself onto it. Pulling herself up, she allowed her head to follow. The throbbing in her head worsened. She clutched her forehead in her palm.
"Damnit.." She hissed, the world getting fuzzy again. Kaitlynn blinked rapidly. Sitting there, she allowed her eyes to focus. "Yeah, I'm up, I'm up..."
Kaitlynn sighed again, shifting her weight onto her arm to push herself to her feet. The pressure on her foot sent a sharp pain up her spine. Holding her arms out slightly, she teetered.
Kaitlynn sucked in a deep breath and glanced around her. Broken pieces of rotted and old wood surrounded her. The railing lay beside her, shattered. She flinched. Kaitlynn laughed through her discomfort. "Whoops...I'm such a clutz.." She stated raising her arm to rub the back of her head, smoothing down her hair, the other laying limp by her side.
"You think?" Tristan spat irritably. He let out a long sigh and raked a hand through his hair again. In the mirror, he could see the crimson liquid leak from the cut he found and stain his cheek. Mr. Belmont wouldn't be happy about that; he liked it best when his son came back from a mission flawless and composed. He wiped the back of his hand across his cheek again, turning away from the accursed mirror.
"Come on," He told Kaitlynn when he could finally make out her form in the darkness, disregarding any damage she may have. "You're gonna help me find away out... since you probably ruined the only other way there is."
He turned away from her, too, and stormed into what he thought was the living area. Euh... the floor was covered in broken glass and half the windows were boarded shut. The rug seemed to be munched on over the years of abandonment and the sofas weren't in any better condition. Even the area that had once been a fireplace was only a mess of ash and glass.
"Perfect," Tristan grumbled, "Just splendid."
Kaitlynn let her arm fall to her side. Shivering, she took a careful step forward over the debris. She swayed as she walked, still a little shaken.
"I said I was sorry, it's not like I wanted the staircase to fall over." Kaitlynn snapped irritably, wiping off the crimson from her forehead. She stepped over a piece of wood and stopped within 3 yards of him. She felt bad enough for destroying the stairwell, now she'd never be able to see the rest of the house. Taking a step forward, she heard glass crackling under her shoe. She lifted her foot off of it in surprise and stepped away from it. She took another deep breath before continuing. "It's not like I planned on this when I came here. I just figured I'd get through it on my own, and not destroy anything. " She scowled, scrunching her face in annoyance.
"It's not like I told myself 'Hey lets go to this condemned hell hole, maybe I'll find a complete jackass there, and return the favor by attempting to have him killed by a staircase!" Her voice rose. Her hand clenched into a shaky fist. A low frustrated growl escaped her lips, as she turned herself around, her back facing his.
Tristan's jaw clenched when he heard her approach. He let her rant, his hand burrowing deep in his pants' pockets. He felt his right wrist brush against the cool metal of the firearm at his belt. Thank goodness he'd left the round at home or, as his anger flared hotter and hotter, there may have been some bloodshed tonight. He kept his back away from her, observing all the boarded windows and the shattered glass and splintered wood littering the barely-carpeted floor until she finished raving.
"I'd stop speaking so loudly if I were you. Don't want to tear down anything else do you -- just your luck, eh?" Tristan's voice remained calm, but a smirk that she'd never see crossed his lips. Might as well make her night a living hell while he was at it, right?
Her fists tightened, as she bit down on her bottom lip to keep from yelling more. Kaitlynn let out a frustrated noise and stomped her foot childishly.
"At this moment I don't really care what happens now. As long as anything that falls....falls on you!" Twirling herself around, she gave him the most hateful look she could muster before turning back around and storming off.
Kaitlynn wasn't sure where she'd go, but this house was large enough. She'd surely find somewhere that was completely destroyed where she could get as far away from him as possible. Pausing to grab her bag that had long been forgotten, she chewed angrily on her bottom lip.
Coming to a corner, she looked over her shoulder, gathering one last look at the damage and Tristan. Letting out a puff of air, she turned the corner and stalked down the hallway.
Tristan listened to her leave, rolling his eyes as she did so. He stared at the boarded windows for a long time, contemplating the least destructive way to get through them. Sure, he could pound them out -- he could easily force his way through them -- but how could he be sure that the rest of the house wouldn't go with him? As far as he'd seen, this house was the least sturdy thing he'd been trapped in for a long time.
That's when he felt a hot breath of air on his shoulder from behind him. Tristan stiffened. How the hell had she snuck up on him? He hadn't heard a sound from the clumsy witch since she left. "Didn't you leave already?" Tristan sighed with annoyance. He swivelled around, ready to take her by the wrist and drag her out of the room so that she wouldn't distract him.Only... no one was there.
"Kaitlynn, what the fuck! Stop messin' around." He chided, looking around the room with confused eyes.
Kaitlynn stopped instantly. Did she...actually hear that? She glanced around her. "I'm probably just imagining...it..."
'Help me....'
Kaitlynn tensed. "Who...Who said that?" She cleared her throat. The voice had sounded frightened, more frightened than Kaitlynn was now. The voice sounded oddly like a young child. "I'm losing my mind...That fall must of been worse than I thought.." Kaitlynn placed a hand on the wall and pushed herself against it, resting her head against it. That voice, why did it scare her? Her eyes fell upon the walls around her. It was probably the spooky atmosphere.
Kaitlynn forced a nervous laugh. "It's..It's probably Jolie and her dumb friends..Just trying to scare me...Yeah..."
'Somebody....Please..'
Kaitlynn's breath caught in her throat.
Where'd she go so fast?
Sighing with frustration, Tristan turned back to the window, hands clenched at his sides. He stared intently at the rotted boards even as his mind wandered elsewhere.
When he heard movement behind him, Tristan breathed out his irritation and whirled around to reprimand the only other person in this house. He opened his mouth only to find his trench coat thrown over his head, which surprised him enough to choke back his words.
He snatched the coat off his face, snarling when he heard a faint giggle from around the corner. That had to me Kaitlynn... The little... Tristan threw the coat aside and stormed out of the living area. "Kaitlynn, what the hell are you trying to pull?" He snapped when he found her in the room where she stood.
Kaitlynn squeaked, hearing his voice. She raised her hands toward her ears in a defensive manner, only to stubbornly cross them over her chest as if she weren't scared. Gritting her teeth, she came to the conclusion that it had been him who was scaring her. If she only knew.
"Excuse me?" Kaitlynn questioned. "What are you talking about?" She asked him. She couldn't believe the nerve he had to pull a trick on her then ask what the hell SHE was trying to pull.
A different voice echoed in the empty room, aside from the child-like voices she had heard. Kaitlynn squeaked, his voice ringing in her ears. She raised her hands toward her ears in a defensive manner, only to stubbornly cross them over her chest as if she weren't scared. Gritting her teeth, she came to the conclusion that it had been him who was scaring her. Her blood boiled.
"Excuse me?" Kaitlynn questioned snappishly. "What the hell are you talking about?" She couldn't believe the nerve he had to pull a trick on her then ask what the hell SHE was trying to pull. The nerve.
"Kaity.." Kaitlynn tensed, glancing to her side. There had only been one person who had ever called her that. She mentally laughed. The voice was different than any other voice she had heard in the past few months. Her eyes wandered back to Tristan. Did he hear it too?
The distant voice only fell upon his deaf ears; Tristan didn't hear anything but Kaitlynn's seemingly innocent words.
"Don't play stupid with me," Tristan seethed, his eyes sharp with anger, "I heard you." He nodded, as if telling himself these things. "You don't think I could hear your little giggle after you threw my damn coat in my face? Am I deaf now or something?"
The nerve of this girl, trying to trick an armed assassin... Who did she think she was? Did she not see the tiny firearm he kept at his waist or was it just invisible now? Was a gun not dangerous, not threatening any more? Surely she wasn't trying to make him think that she didn't find him the least bit intimidating... That was just absurd. Assassin with a gun; be scared... right? She wasn't going to fool him.
Her eyes wandered away. She really must be losing her mind, hearing voices like that. The voice echoed in her mind, but she ignored it, frustrated with
Tristan.
"I'm not playing stupid. I really have no idea what you're talking about." She explained to him, her face expressionless. She made eye contact, just to prove she wasn't lying. Seriously, if she had been lying, she'd be laughing. She sighed, crossing her arms.
A loud noise shot through the empty room, echoing against the walls. The sound of a door slamming. the door of the room they were in was slammed shut, squeezing out any bit of light they had had before this. The only light was that of the moon, peaking through the window curtains, barely enough to see anything around her. Her body stiffened as another crack of thunder sounded.
Tristan stared back, determined to detect her lie. Of course she'd been lying, but, then again, what if she wasn't? Why was he being so damn untrusting? He stared until the loud crack of the door behind them sounded, in which he jumped about two feet at, and suddenly felt glad that he hadn't remained in the doorway. He scowled back at Kaitlynn for a moment, trying to keep his cool and hoping that the girl hadn't seen the lapse in his acute senses, then turned his back on her to try the door handle.
Locked.
What on earth else could he have expected with her around? Tristan let out his frustration with one big gust of air, rolling his eyes, and turned back to Kaitlynn. "What is it with you and locked doors?"
Why did he feel so goddamn judgmental and accusing tonight? Tristan didn't like the affect she had on him.
Kaitlynn glared harshly, letting out a frustrated noise. Why did he have to blame her for everything? It's not like she's responsible for this.
"What is with you and BLAMING me for everything?!" Kaitlynn snapped, forcing her eyes to adjust to the darkness, so she could smack him. No use.
She was sure she'd go insane before the night was over, it was bad enough that she had been locked in a house with a murderer, now she was locked in a room with him. She'd tear her hair out, scream and thrash around before the sun came up. If she had some how manage to survive this, she'd need major therapy. It was a good thing her parents were--
Oh no. Her parents.
Kaitlynn's eyes widened. She cursed out loud, suddenly wanting to go home. With her eyes adjusted slightly, she tried to make out where the door was. Even if the door were locked, she'd figure out a way to get out. She had to.
Tristan didn't reply, instead watching -- even in the darkness, his eyes could adjust easily and make themselves at home in the dim surroundings -- the ongoing conflict stir behind Kaitlynn's eyes. Something must have snapped in her when her eyes rounded slightly because it startled even him.
Suddenly he wondered what was going through her mind, observing how she squinted across the room, assumingly to find the door and get out. Tristan almost felt horrible that he'd ruined her night, but, then again, it was his profession -- to ruin families' after families' lives, to plague them.
Still silent, he moved away from the door, feeling strongly that she didn't want to be near him.
Kaitlynn slammed her fist against the door, infuriated that it would not budge. She grabbed the handle of the door and twisted it. If these locks were built like the ones in her house then if she twisted the handle hard enough, the lock might break. Chewing on her bottom lip, she gripped the handle, twisting it harder. It wouldn't break.
"Damnit..." Kaitlynn cursed banging on the door again.
Defeated, she dropped her head against the door, making a small whiny noise.
Tristan tried not to speak, but words fell from his lips before he could stop them, "What made you think you could open it? I couldn't open it, Kaitlynn."
He wanted to kick himself for being such an asshole, but instead he settled for biting his tongue and glaring in the opposite direction of her. He had to redeem himself, but he thought that this time he'd stuck his foot far enough into his mouth that he might just choke if he made another scathing remark. Dangerous territory. "Why does a rickety house like this have such strong locks anyway?" These were the kind of doors he could easily kick down, wooden and flimsy, but the locks held like word in stone. This house was built amazingly secure, but it was entirely too creepy to be stuck in here with her.
Whirling herself around she glared harshly at him. "Don't mess with me right now okay?"
She really didn't need it now. She need to get home. Kaitlynn could care less what Jolie and her dumb friends thought. She leaned back against the door glancing around the room. There had to be a way out. The tiny ray of light from the window caught her eye.
She walked over across the room towards the window. The force from her pulling the curtains aside, sent dust flying into the air. Kaitlynn coughed, choking on it. She braced herself against the window, coughing until the dust had settled.
Tristan raised his eyebrows at her back, ignoring the stinging sensation that the dust of the curtains caused in his eyes. He watched with mild interest as she pulled back the moldy, old curtains and observed the cracked, nearly splintered boards behind them that covered the window. He was surprised how much moonlight the tiny crack showed.
Despite Kaitlynn's warning, Tristan found words falling out of his mouth before he could help himself, "I wouldn't try to go through there, if I were you. This house is how old? The wall will fall through, with your luck."
Kaitlynn dropped her forehead against the wood over the window, frustrated. She purposely ignored Tristan's comment. She was tired of yelling at him, Seeing as how it never solved anything anyway. He only kept at it, pressing her nerves.
"Damnit!" She hissed banging her head against the wood. "I can't believe this" She added softly. Turning her body around, she leaned her back against the wall and slid down. She pulled her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her knees. "We're stuck here. For god knows how long."
She was going to have to deal with her parents when she got home. That thought didn't ease the racing of her heart, and the silent fear bubbling in her stomach.
Tristan too slid down the wall across from her. He just watched her, thinking she seemed bothered by something. He found himself become increasingly uncomfortable on the floor in this silence, the sudden need to pace back and forth across the room assaulting him. Whether he liked to admit it or not, Kaitlynn seemed to have a similar idea that he'd been developing somewhere in his mind since he first laid eyes on Kaitlynn again. He remembered how panicked he'd felt to see her again; what would she do once they got out of here? Would he let her that far, would he...?
No. A long time ago, he'd told himself 'no'. Never again.
He looked down at his shoes to realize he was on his feet and pacing back and forth, wringing his hands behind his back. Since when had he become so nervous? He could... He could hurt this girl in a moment if she tried anything, so why was he worried?
He shook his head, forced himself stand in place. He couldn't manage it, however, because a moment later, he tried to handle on the door again, even though he knew it was going to be--hey, wait...
The handle turned easily under his calloused grip and he forced the door open, listening to it creak terribly. "Kaitlynn!" He exclaimed at the curled-up girl across the room, venturing outside the threshold. The door slammed shut behind him, a violent wind chilling him. When he turned to open it again, the door was locked. He and Kaitlynn had been separated.
Kaitlynn watched him pace around the room. She couldn't figure out what he seemed so tense about. Sighing, she dropped her gaze as he fiddled with the door handle again, it was almost pointless.
Her head shot up at her name, the sound of a slamming door behind it. She pulled herself to her feet rapidly, running across the room to the door. She tried the handle herself, but it wouldn't budge. The urge to scream tried to make it's way past her lips. She slammed her fist against the door. Flinching, she pulled it back. Her whole body shook. Turning her head around, she stared into the darkness, the fear she felt earlier increased in size, as the emptiness of the room started to get to her. It hadn't seemed so bad before, the darkness. It hadn't seemed so scary before, when she hadn't been the only one in the room. She crossed the room again, to the oppisite wall, fighting the tears that tried to surface. She pressed herself against the wall , staring at the closed door. She clenched her eyes shut, willing away the unsettling feeling of something bad that could happen.
Tristan pulled at the door handle violently, jiggling the whole door in his effort to open it back up. Yet he didn't have a clue what compelled him to care so much. This was his chance at freedom..
He tore at the rusted door handle once more before setting off across the house in search of something to open the door. A key, perhaps... A screwdriver -- something. He couldn't just leave her in there. Again, part of his mind rebeled against this idea, but he pushed it back, rummaging through every drawer in the ugly, out-of-date kitchen. He found nothing and stormed back to the locked door. "Kaitlynn!" He exclaimed through the door, anger assaulting him suddenly -- he was suddenly furious with himself, furious with Kaitlynn, and furious with this house. "Are you playing with me again? This isn't funny!" He turned the handle again with such force he was sure that he would rip it off the door. No such luck.
Without waiting for the girls 's reply, he went to search the living area.
Kaitlynn raised her hands to her ears, covering them tightly.
"Stop blaming me for everything!" Kaitlynn shouted at the top of her lungs, positive that he could hear her. She let out a frustrated scream, frustrated with everything. She never should of come here.
"Kaity..." That voice. Kaitlynn squeaked, dropping to the floor again, hands still tightly clamped over her ears. A cold hand placed itself on her shoulder. Kaitlynn froze, her eyes flying open. Glancing to her shoulder, she screamed, scrambling to her feet. She took steps backwards until she collided with another wall. Her breath came out ragged. She placed her hands flat against the wall, steadying herself, as she watched the wall she had been on.
He threw open every drawer, pulled back every curtain, turned over every piece of furnature he came in contact with, and he still found nothing. Why was he so worried about this? This was his chance to ditch the girl. He should be celebrating, right?
The floor behind him creaked and he bristled. Then it hit him. It scared him because this house could be... dare he say it? No, but there was something terrible in this house, something supernatural, undead perhaps. His eyes swept the room and he hurried back to the locked room, knocking on the door again, only gently this time. "Kaitlynn," Tristan sighed, shaking his head. "I don't like this house..."
Kaitlynn dropped her head against the wall, with a deep sigh. Her arms shook. She glanced over at the locked door, when she heard Tristan say something from behind it. Closing her eyes for a moment she responded sullenly.
"Something we have in common." Her aqua eyes fell open. "It's so strange..." She mumbled. " It's like...The house has a mind of it own." Her eyes scanned the area, taking in every aspect of it. Every corner, ever chip of paint. The softly painted images of bunnies on the walls, in a border circling the room one foot off the ground. Her eyes softened. The curtains over the boarded windows were a powdered blue. This was a young child’s room at one point. She brought her gaze to the bottoms of the floor length curtains.
Scorch marks.
A chuckle escaped him. It seemed too absurd... the thought of a house with its own mind, its own memories and such... but Tristan anything but threw that thought aside. His hand traveled to the door handle again, something telling him that he should. He twisted it even knowing it wouldn't work. "What are we supposed to do then?" He asked through the door, lost for ideas. A house with its own ideas... how do you beat that?
Kaitlynn allowed herself a laugh before she coughed. She felt herself stepping away from the door, a chill shot up her spine, sending shivers throughout every nerve.
"Kaitlynn"
Kaitlynn turned her head frantically. "Who's there?" She questioned, before the world began to fade away. She felt dizzy. The entire world seemed to spin around, making her teeter dangerously. She felt somebody grab her shoulder. She squeaked, Snapping back into reality again.
Tristan pulled his ear away from the door for no longer than a moment to cast it a strange look, as if somehow the girl on the other side of the door would receive this look... or at least realize how strange she sounded. "What do you mean, 'who's there?'? It's still Tristan, Kaitlynn. What's going on in there?" He jiggled the handle again to no avail, suspicious rising in him.
Kaitlynn's breath quickened. "I wasn't talking to you!" Kaitlynn exclaimed panicking suddenly. She licked her lips in anticipation.
"Kaity..."
She jolted turning around to face the door. "Please tell me you can hear that voice..."
Again, the door received the strangest look imagined. "What voice? There's no one here but you and me, remember?" All the same, Tristan scanned the hallway around him. The caress of warm breath on his neck, the mysterious tossing of his trench over his eyes... It made sense, but they didn't believe in ghosts, right? Apparitions, ghouls... they were just figments on the imagination, right? Kaitlynn was just imagining things, frightened because she was locked in a room in this alleged "haunted house." It was nothing big... definitely.
She bit her lip. "I know that but - But still, I can hear it!"
"Kaity, Kaity please I need your help!" Kaitlynn whirled around. An transparent figure appeared in front of her. The figure glowed an eerie shade of blue.
Kaitlynn's eyes widened. Her mouth opened but no words came out.
"Sky..." She managed but came out barely audible.
Tristan pressed his face closer to the flimsy wood of the door between him and Kaitlynn, listening harder for these voices that Kaitlynn claimed to hear.
Even now his excellent hearing could pick up nothing but the faint, anxiously ragged breath of the girl. All was quiet for a moment, but then a foreign voice assaulted his ears, something inaudible. What was that?... Kaitlynn's whisper barely met his ears, but he heard her loud and clear, a cold sweat breaking out across his forehead. Impossible. He never forgot a name... It may have been vague, but it was a name she would know. But that was silly because that boy was dead. "Who?" He intoned, an icy cold sensation pooling in the pit of his stomach.
The figure seemed to smile. "Yeah Kaity, It's me..." His voice was soft and wispy, almost like the cold October wind. Kaitlynn shook her head furiously, the cheek length bangs smacking her face.
"No..." She muttered, staring hard at the airy figment. She brought a clenched fist to her chest, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "I'm losing my mind..."
"Kaity, I'm really here! I am.. "
"You're dead"
"I know that," He told her, reaching out his hand, to brush against her cheek. His 'fingers' were cold like ice. She shuddered
"Kaity...I need your help..." He told her.